The JMS Renew Review: Money in the Bank (2018)

Alexa Bliss obtains the Money in the Bank contract

The Reality: With an impending feud with Ronda on the horizon, Natalya should win this going away. The only other two performers likely in the discussion are Sasha and Becky, both of whom could use the briefcase to re-establish themselves in the main event of the division without needing them to exploit the very small contingent of low-to-midcard to gain traction.

While your mileage may vary on Alexa — and whether or not her complexion/hair color is the reason she has her very highly elevated spot on the card (our belief at JMS: yes, absolutely, because of course, but also, not entirely because Mandy Rose would be a 100X champion if that were the case) — her being chosen to win the contract (and, almost immediately after cash it in) was clearly the best direction to go for what the plans were going forward. Any other choice, outside of Natalya, was going to require massive character shifts and potentially harm future storylines/spotlights for the performers. Also, if we’re being completely honest, Ronda ain’t ready for Sasha.

Outside of all that, the match itself was a massssssssive upgrade over last year’s and not just because a man didn’t win it. As (friend and former podcast host) Marc Normandin put it:

The first women's Money in the Bank match was good, but they were a bit timid. This time, they kicked each others asses, and again, it ruled.

It was also nice to not have “THE FIRST EVER WOMEN’S …” be used as a selling point for the match, letting the action itself sell the match. Milestones like that should certainly be celebrated and promoted, but spending too much focusing on these things can feel like spiking the football. And for those of you that don’t know:

While I personally would have been much happier with Natalya winning — if only so we wouldn’t have another month or two of mediocre six-man tags where Alexa takes the pin — the match worked on a lot of levels and is exactly the kind of match that builds value in the women’s division as more than a novelty or fad but as integral a part of the show’s success as the men’s division.